Health Minister Elias Kapavore has clarified that Port Moresby General Hospital (PMGH) is now classified as a Level Six National Referral Hospital under Papua New Guinea's National Health Service Standards.
The clarification was made in Parliament yesterday after Abau MP Sir Puka Temu questioned whether the government had changed the classification of PMGH, which had previously been regarded as the country's Level Seven national referral hospital.
Sir Puka raised concerns that references to PMGH as a Level Six facility could create confusion within the health sector and affect referral pathways across the country.
In response, Kapavore explained that Papua New Guinea's health system now operates under a six-level structure introduced through the National Health Service Standards in 2021.
"Under the new standards there are only six levels of health facilities," he told Parliament.
"PMGH is now Level Six and serves as the National Referral Hospital and super-specialist hospital."
The minister outlined the six levels of healthcare facilities, ranging from level one being the Health Posts with three health officers, to level two which is a Community Health Post with up to five community officers stationed there, level three has Health Centres, Level four has District Hospitals and level six is a National Referral Hospital where the Port Moresby General Hospital comes under.
He said the reforms were designed to strengthen lower-level health facilities and ensure more patients receive treatment closer to home.
Kapavore said PMGH's role is increasingly focused on delivering highly specialised services that are unavailable elsewhere in the country.
He highlighted recent advances at the hospital, including successful kidney transplant procedures and the introduction of advanced cardiac services.
The minister also pointed to the government's investment in specialist healthcare, including a K200 million commitment to upgrade cancer treatment services.
"Our aim is to ensure Papua New Guineans can access specialist treatment here at home instead of travelling overseas," he said.
Kapavore said the government's broader health reform agenda seeks to improve services at every level of the health system while allowing PMGH to concentrate on complex and specialised care.
